(1) Look at all of the playing time given to peak-age players in our best seasons. (A lot, which is good.)(2) Look at the playing time given to peak-age players in the most recent seasons. (Less than the 30+ year olds. Woof.)

I think this highlights what an awful job we've done with the squad since the final years of Moyes' tenure. It was one thing for Moyes to squeeze every last bit out of those players (he earned the right to do this for a couple of years after carefully assembling them) but our subsequent managers have tried to do the same with mixed results (and I think that's being kind). Think about how long we relied on the likes of Distin, Howard, Pienaar, Jagielka, Baines, and [not a Moyes player but still] Barry without ever really lining up proper replacements. This is partly Martinez's fault but it also raises some red flags w/r/t our recruitment under Koeman/Walsh:

Williams (bought at age 31, likely to decline)Bolasie (bought at age 27, likely to give 2 peak seasons)Schneiderlin (bought at 27, likely to give 2 peak seasons)Sigurdsson (bought at 27, likely to give 2 peak seasons)Rooney (bought at age 31, likely to decline)

You can make one or two of those deals but it's irresponsible to do all of them, especially Williams (with his most likely partner being 34 already) and Sigurdsson (given the price and the fact that we had already signed Klaassen and Rooney). We aimed for the sweet spot with a few signings this summer (Klaassen, Pickford, Keane are all early peak or about to enter peak) and we have no shortage of young attackers with potential (even though Koeman hates most of them) but there seems to be a general lack of planning around transfers. (And that's before we consider that a lot of the players we bought don't look like they belong on the pitch together.)

We can complain all we like about tactics and the manager (who's probably had a hand in at least some of this) but our transfer policy is what's going to kill us long-term. Walsh needs to sort it the fuck out or Moshiri needs to hire someone who can.

Likes...

I've mentioned this in other posts, I noticed the ages of the players that Koeman had ear marked to bring in. Rooney/Siggy/Williams, compared to the younger players Walsh has signed for Unsworths team and for the first team..

Koeman wanted experienced players, he didnt care if it wasnt mid-long term as he wouldnt be here and he wanted them to be premiership ready, Which is why i credit Walsh, he's scouting the youngsters that will benefit us in years to come.

If Lookman was 28 and a Koeman signing then he would play, took DCL a while to break into the team as well, even when most of us wanted/saw his benefit from the fleeting subs appearances he made, I would kinda say the same for Davies, probably our midfielder/break through player of last year, but Koeman would rather play HIS player (Morgan Schneiderlin)

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Unsworth has a 100% League record at homeNorwich 3-0 15th May 2016Watford 3-2 5th Nov 2017West Ham 4-0 29th Nov 2017To Be Continued.....

I recall at the start of the season, he wasnt being played, it was only after the third or so game. (besides man city) that he started. Sandro and Rooney where the preferred choice. As i said took him a bit of time to be a starter this season. even tho most of the fans saw that he was offering more than Rooney and Sandro. go back and check the match day threads.

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Unsworth has a 100% League record at homeNorwich 3-0 15th May 2016Watford 3-2 5th Nov 2017West Ham 4-0 29th Nov 2017To Be Continued.....

I recall at the start of the season, he wasnt being played, it was only after the third or so game. (besides man city) that he started. Sandro and Rooney where the preferred choice. As i said took him a bit of time to be a starter this season. even tho most of the fans saw that he was offering more than Rooney and Sandro. go back and check the match day threads.

Took him a bit of time? You're talking straight out of your arse hole. He started 4 of our first 6 competitive games.

Here's the full list anyway...

Started against RuzomberokStarted against StokeStarted against Split awayStarted against CityStarted against Atalanta awayStarted against SunderlandStarted against BournemouthStarted against Burnley

Played a full 45 against Spurs also.

Has come on in most, if not all, of the other games we've played so far that he didn't start. I can't be arsed going into the detail.

Think it's you that needs to go back and check the matchday threads tbh because you are quite clearly very wrong.

I recall at the start of the season, he wasnt being played, it was only after the third or so game. (besides man city) that he started. Sandro and Rooney where the preferred choice. As i said took him a bit of time to be a starter this season. even tho most of the fans saw that he was offering more than Rooney and Sandro. go back and check the match day threads.

Really? I remember people saying - he must be doing something fucking special in training because he's done fuck all.

His breakout game was City, don't rewrite history.

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I knew that someday I was going to die, and I knew that before I died, two things would happen to me. That number one; I would regret my entire life, and number two; that I would want to live my life over again.

I've mentioned this in other posts, I noticed the ages of the players that Koeman had ear marked to bring in. Rooney/Siggy/Williams, compared to the younger players Walsh has signed for Unsworths team and for the first team..

Isnt it a prerequisite to sign younger players for an under 23s team, or am i missing something? Id be pretty worried if Walsh was signing 28 years old for Unsworth, that would be up there with not signing a striker to replace Lukaku. And what inside info have you got that confirms Koeman signed all the old players and Walsh signed the young ones, or is it just 'I want Koeman out so ill blame all the apparent s**t signings on him'?

Took him a bit of time? You're talking straight out of your arse hole. He started 4 of our first 6 competitive games.

Here's the full list anyway...

Started against RuzomberokStarted against StokeStarted against Split awayStarted against CityStarted against Atalanta awayStarted against SunderlandStarted against BournemouthStarted against Burnley

Played a full 45 against Spurs also.

Has come on in most, if not all, of the other games we've played so far that he didn't start. I can't be arsed going into the detail.

Think it's you that needs to go back and check the matchday threads tbh because you are quite clearly very wrong.

i mentioned premier league games. he didnt play v man utd and was brought on v chelsea, as my original post said. he started 4 of the 7 premier league games. i guess you dont recall us having no outlet in numerous matches at the start of the season cos no one was there to stretch the pitch, until DCL started being used more.. yes he has come on in most games, thats due to Koeman realising we weren't creating anything or even making the oppositions defence come under any pressure.. as i said.. Rooney was the main stay. along with Sandro at playing a smaller roll at the start of the season... yes DCL played earlier in the season but he was hardly EVER the number 9, he was the right wing back or the right/left hand side attacker.. he wasnt utilized in the number 9 role until more recently.

Isnt it a prerequisite to sign younger players for an under 23s team, or am i missing something? Id be pretty worried if Walsh was signing 28 years old for Unsworth, that would be up there with not signing a striker to replace Lukaku. And what inside info have you got that confirms Koeman signed all the old players and Walsh signed the young ones, or is it just 'I want Koeman out so ill blame all the apparent s**t signings on him'?

i guess you dont recall Koeman going all out for Siggy, or even seen the interviews? or going out for Martina? I guess you know Martina was a Walsh buy? anyway, i'm not going to argue over the interviews i've seen and read.

Koeman stared many times, he wanted older players who have played in the premier league, so they can hit the ground running.. but yeah as brap said to me. re write history trololo

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Unsworth has a 100% League record at homeNorwich 3-0 15th May 2016Watford 3-2 5th Nov 2017West Ham 4-0 29th Nov 2017To Be Continued.....

i guess you dont recall Koeman going all out for Siggy, or even seen the interviews? or going out for Martina? I guess you know Martina was a Walsh buy? anyway, i'm not going to argue over the interviews i've seen and read.

Koeman stared many times, he wanted older players who have played in the premier league, so they can hit the ground running.. but yeah as brap said to me. re write history trololo

Theres a few things here, yes Koeman did go on about Sigurdson and hes previously mentioned Martina as cover as he was free, however, the role of the Director of Football is to give stability and oversight ensuring when the manager leaves we have a strategic plan to move forward with little or no disruption, he looks beyond the here and now. Also, as previously stated by Koeman, Walsh is very much in charge of transfers. I have no doubt they discuss and debate who should be bought it but you're inferring that Walsh is pretty spineless and incompetent as hes letting Koeman sign who he wants regardless, which you may have a point considering we signed 3 number 10s whilst having another on our books but the point im making is that a DoF shouldn't be letting this happen, unless they both agree on the vision?

I'm probably more excited about the future of the squad than I have been at any stage during my life supporting us to be honest.

The issue as I see it is we have too few players at their peak and the ones who are there are underachieving. The rest are either past their best or still learning their trade. The only players at their peak are Schneiderlin and Sig and both are playing way below what is expected of them. We're only about three signings away from having a pretty good squad in my opinion. Once we buy a new centre half, left back and centre forward, all at a good age with pace and athleticism, then squad in my mind will look pretty well balanced age-wise.